The Dark Night Of The Soul
by YprocKcid
Summary: The only way for Carrie to touch Gumball is through his heart.
1. Star Eyes I Can't Catch It

**The Dark Night Of The Soul**

**The Beginning Chapter**

* * *

><p>Carrie hates lunch. She hates that every one is enjoying their food. Savoring each bite and gobbling it up like animals, which, to be fair, most of them are. <em>They're mocking me.<em> Carrie thinks. _They know I can't eat and they're eating right in front of my face. _

She hates that she herself can't eat. She remembers the experience of eating back when she was alive. She misses it. All she can do now is play with her fork and swirl her food all over the tray. She looks back at everyone else, enjoying their food, then she looks at her tray that still has all of the food she bought.

_I'm alone in this world._ She thinks to herself.

_I am the only ghost here, after all. I wouldn't expect anyone to understand what I'm going through._

_Then again, I really shouldn't expect them to care. I do this to myself every day._

Again, she looks at everyone enjoying themselves.

_I'm both literally and figuratively detached from this world and everybody else._

_Whatever, I don't care._

Carrie hears giggling and laughter coming from the other table across from her. Carrie can deal with the inability to eat, she has come to terms to that. She's fine with everyone else eating, just because she can't enjoy something doesn't mean she wants everyone else to suffer like she's suffering right now. She's not like that.

The only thing that Carrie absolutely can't handle is Gumball and Penny. The lovey-dovey couple that can't keep their hands off of each other for a minute. The couple that everyone agrees is the most cutest couple ever. The boyfriend and girlfriend who are planning their whole lives ahead of them, the couple that will love each other till death makes them part.

They began to date the day after they went to Tobias's party, and they became inseparable ever since.

People wouldn't exactly call Carrie and Gumball best friends. In fact, calling them good acquaintances would be stretching the truth a bit. Still, Carrie likes to believe that at the very least, they don't hate each other. She knows she doesn't hate him, but she's unsure how Gumball feels. He's probably never truly forgiven her.

And now, she'll never know for sure because he's way too busy with Penny.

Carrie hates lunch.

She hates that she can't eat. Hates that everyone's so happy while her afterlife is a complete misery. And she hates Penny and..._Gumball._

_No, of course I don't hate Gumball. He's a good guy. _

_He let me use his body just so I could eat again. He didn't like that idea, but he let me do it anyways. Nobody else tried to help me out like Gumball did. He's a good guy._

_What did Darwin say? That he's always there for a friend? That's true, Gumball is always there. Here in the cafeteria, he's there. In class, he's there. On the bus to and from school, he's there. In my thoughts, he's there too. He's everywhere._

_Eww. Why am I thinking about Gumball so much? I have other important matters to think about, like...like..._

She hates that she has to make herself feel awful just so she can feel something, anything, at all.

Carrie plays with her food some more. She can spot certain objects she drawn on the mess. Like looking up at the clouds. She sees a star, a rectangle, a heart, a cat...

She runs her fork all over the mess. Getting rid of everything she just saw.

_Forget about him. _

_He has a girlfriend now. He isn't interested in you._

She looks back at the couple again. Gumball is about to kiss Penny on the cheek. Time slows down as Carrie looks on. Gumball's lips inching closer and closer to Penny. It felt like hours to Carrie as she watch. It felt excruciating to watch.

When Gumball finally made it to Penny, Carrie could feel her whole body ache, like she's been shot in the back of the head. She knows what going on with her, it's a feeling that she's very familiar with. However, it feels more stronger than it ever had before. The misery, the pain. It's hurting her.

_What the heck is going on here? Ow, since when does this happen? Why do I feel so bad? _

She looks back at the couple again. This time, it's Penny that's kissing Gumball.

_Ohh, I think I'm starting to feel even worse now. Wait a minute, I don't think this is misery, I think I'm feeling some other type of emotion! Could this be...jealousy? Am I feeling jealous? That's weird, I don't think I've ever felt that before. _

_It's been a long time since I felt anything besides misery. I must be jealous that Penny's with-_

_Oh gross, they're kissing again. I'm leaving._

* * *

><p>In class, Carrie can't hear what Ms. Simian is saying because of all the thoughts that are cluttering up inside her head.<p>

_Why would I be feeling jealous? Do I have a crush on Gumball? Can't be, I barely even hang out with the guy. Cause Penny's always with him. If she was gone, I'd be able to be with him for a longer time. Hmm, maybe if Penny broke up with him, Gumball will feel bad and I can help him out by telling him how to deal with pain. Then we can be friends after he starts to feel better._

_Wait, what am I thinking? Why would I want that to happen to them? Right, the jealousy, that's what it does to you._

_Maybe I'm not jealous, maybe I have some sort of ghost sickness. A priest probably put a curse on me or something. Maybe sprayed some holy water at me when I wasn't looking. Yeah, it must be something like that. There's no way that I can get of jealous. Especially for Gumball, he's not so great._

Gumball is sitting up in front, with Carrie just behind him. She sees Gumball passing notes to Penny.

_You're not so great Gumball, I don't like you. You're just a love sick puppy that would get on my nerves if you even thought about being with me. You're clingy, immature, childish, dumb, fragile and weak. _

_You love Penny. You treat her so well, you've made her the happiest girl in the world. You're a good person. You love your family and friends. You treat others well and you try to get along with everyone. You're so good-looking too. Your fur is a nice natural blue. That fang of yours that peeks out of your mouth. And your body is pretty great too. I want to touch it. _

_I wonder what Penny feels when she touches you. She feels your fur, running her fingers through it, enjoying herself. It must be real nice. She feels your whole body, you're so close together that you can feel each others heartbeats beating in your chest. She wraps her arms around you, and you do the same. You can feel the body warmth radiating from each other. _

_How does it feel to be warm again? How does it feel when someone holds you and you feel warm, inside and out? I've lost that memory so long ago, I wonder how it feels. It must feel nice. It must feel nice coming from Gumball._

_Get him out of your mind. Geez, what's up with me today? Since when did I started to have crushes? _

_Maybe I should take a quick nap, maybe that'll help out whatever's wrong with me._

Carrie rest her head on her desk, with the help of Ms. Simian's jabbering, she quickly falls asleep.

* * *

><p>Princess Carrie, in her regal princess garb, is locked up in the dungeon of her own castle. Her feet are shackled. She doesn't have the strength to stand up, so she lies on the floor.<p>

She cries because she knows that this is where she is going to die. She is going to die unnoticed in a dark, sinister dungeon. The only people who will pay attention to her rotting corpse are the hungry rats. Carrie cries because she is alone.

As she has her head on the floor, her body in a fetal position, a light flickers. It burns brightly like fire. Carrie feels its warmth and starts to believe that someone has come to save her. She looks up to see her hero, but there wasn't one.

The light comes from a strange source. It appears to be on the ceiling, the light shines so brightly from it, like a fire. It is a fire, but deathly still. Like it's been frozen in time. Extreme heat radiates it, making Carrie sweat. She can hear it cackling, just like a fire, but it doesn't move. It doesn't move at all.

"Who-What are you?" Carrie asks. She doesn't expect an answer, but she receives one.

"I CONTROL YOU." It says, and says just that with no further explanation.

"W-what? Who are you?"

"I CONTROL YOU."

"What do you want?" Carrie cries. She puts her back up against the wall, trying to be far away from whatever it is as possible.

"YOU HAVE NOTHING."

Carrie starts to cry some more.

"I CONTROL YOU. I CONTROL YOUR LIFE."

"Leave me alone."

"I CREATE AND DESTROY. I AM A BEING THAT CAN BEND REALITY."

"What do you want from me?"

"YOU CAN ONLY FEEL PAIN AND THE HARD COLD FLOOR YOU'RE ON."

"What?"

It didn't speak after that, instead, it starts to speak in angry gibberish. It sounds like a million voices speaking at once. Carrie covers her ears and goes back to the fetal position.

"Stop! Stop it! Stop it!" Carrie could feel the room getting hotter. She could feel her skin burning up and her blood boiling.

_This is it. The end. I'm going to die now._

Carrie stops crying, ready to face her early demise. When Carrie lets the heat consumes her, the locked door of the dungeon gets chopped down.

"Carrie!" She hears someone call for her.

The light and heat has magically disappeared. She even feels fine now, as though it was never there. She lifts her head up, and sees Gumball coming through the chopped down door with an ax in his hand.

"Gumball?" She couldn't believe her eyes, Gumball has saved her.

"Carrie! You're still alive!" Gumball runs to Carrie, tears in his eyes and arms wide open. Carrie finds the power in herself to stand up.

She spreads her arms too, wanting to get a hug as well.

Carrie puts her arms around Gumball's waist. His waist bursts into flames. Gumball lets go of Carrie's grip and tries to put out the ring of fire around his waist.

Carrie goes to him, she touches his shoulder, it catches on fire too. Gumball pushes her off. She falls down and watches Gumball burn.

"Don't." He says. "Don't come closer."

"Gumball! No! I'm so sorry..."

The Light, the fire, the heat. It appears again.

"I CONTROL YOU." It says.

Gumball drops his ax to the floor, nearly missing his feet. With the fire consuming his entire body, he drags himself towards the door. He doesn't make it. The flames keep on burning, even when there's nothing left but ashes.

"I CONTROL YOU. YOU. **YOU**."

Carrie watches the whole thing. Just watches.

She hears a faint yelling coming from somewhere. The yelling gets louder and louder until it sounds like it's coming right inside her head. The yelling is unbearable. She covers up her ears, her fingernails digs into her skin and draws blood. She's in so much pain, it's like she's being split apart. Like her soul is being taken from her body, from this world.

"KILL ME!" Carrie cries. "KILL ME NOW!'

* * *

><p>Carrie wakes up, she's back in the class room now.<p>

Everyone is staring at her.

"Are you done with your little episode?" Asks Ms. Simian.

"Umm...what?"

"If you keep distracting the class with all of that screaming, it's detention for you!"

"I was having a bad dream."

"And that's another thing, don't sleep in my classroom! That's very disrespectful."

"Sorry."

"Alright then, as I was saying..." Ms. Simian continues with her lesson.

_Oh man, this is so embarrassing. I hope I didn't say anything too private. What the heck was that dream about anyways? It seemed so familiar. Gumball was there, and there was a lot of fire too._

"Psst. Carrie." Gumball whispers to Carrie.

"Yeah Gumball?"

"Is everything ok?"

"Everything's fine."

"We can talk about it if you want."

"...Maybe later Gumball."

"All right, later."

Gumball goes back to paying attention to Ms. Simian.

"Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, 'Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.' Does anyone know what that means?"

"It means to never give up. To continue trying." Answers Bobert.

"Wait until I call for you. That's detention for you."

"Yay. That means I will be able to spend more time with you."

Carrie looks at Gumball.

_Never give up._

She hums softly, so that no one can hear her. Not yet.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Wow, that sure is a lot of words. If you managed to read all of this, then congratulations! Your attention span isn't like that of a goldfish! Anyways, this story isn't over yet, we haven't even reached the climax. Stay tuned for the next and final chapter!<em>**


	2. Angel's Harp

**The Dark Night Of The Soul**

**The Final Chapter**

* * *

><p>After school, everybody went home. Penny's dad came by to pick her up. After a tearful goodbye, Gumball goes on the bus with Darwin. Carrie goes on the bus as well.<p>

She sits by herself behind the two boys. She floats casually above the seat. Not leaving her seat, she tries to get Gumball's attention.

"Hey, Gumball." She says softly.

Gumball is about to turn around but then Carrie says-

"Keep looking ahead, like you're not talking to me."

Gumball follows her demand and looks straight ahead.

"Ok. Now listen very closely, cause I don't want any one else to be listening in on our conversation."

"All right."

"Speak quietly."

"I will."

"Good. Anyways, you said that you wanted to talk with me. Back at class."

"Yeah."

"I wanna talk about it."

"Now?"

"No, not now. I want it to be private."

"Hmm, I don't think I like where this is going, Carrie,"

"Gumball?" Says Darwin. "Who are you talking to?"

"I was just talking to... um-"

"No one." interrupts Carrie. "He's talking to himself."

"Oh." He goes back to whatever he was doing.

Gumball waits for Carrie to talk to him again, but she doesn't say anything now. Carrie throws a crumpled up paper ball to Gumball. It lands on his lap. He unfolds it and reads it.

_Gumball, I have something real important to talk to you about._

_I had a nightmare back in class. That's why I was causing a commotion like Ms. Simian said. I'm glad that you said you wanted to talk with me, because the nightmare had something to do with you. Anyways we need to talk._

_Meet me at the park near the broken down car at around ten o'clock. We'll talk there. I hope you decide to come. I really need to talk to you._

There's two boxes at the bottom of the note. One for yes. The other for no.

_I should probably check no. Who knows what Carrie really wants to do with me. Probably wants to use my body again. But she has dad to eat with, so it can't be that. I guess she must be serious about just wanting to talk to me. _

_Wait Gumball, she may not want your body, but that doesn't mean she won't do something equally sinister. What can she do to me? _

_Why does she want me to meet her in the middle of the night at a place where it's unlikely for anyone to see us? That situation doesn't sound like it can end well. Then again, Carrie's a ghost, I guess she would be the type of person who'd be comfortable with me at a place like that. _

_Yeah, that's it. I was worried for nothing. Guess I'll just check yes then._

_I'm putting a lot of trust in you, Carrie._

He checks the yes box. The bus stops and Carrie starts to leave. She glances at Gumball, he gives her the note back.

"See you soon." Says Gumball.

Carrie takes the note from Gumball. She holds it close to her, like a precious heirloom.

"Thanks."

She gets off the bus and goes home to prepare for tonight.

* * *

><p>It's a full moon out tonight.<p>

Gumball is there. He hides behind a tree, trying to make sure no robbers or serial killers spot him. He makes his way to the broken car that's out in the middle of the park. He looks around to see where Carrie is, but he doesn't see her anywhere.

"This was a bad idea." Gumball says to himself.

"Gumball." A voice from behind speaks to him.

Gumball turns around frighteningly to see who's talking. He sees Carrie emerging from the wreckage of the car.

"Hey, sorry I scared you."

"It's all right. Do you want to talk about your nightmare now?"

"Um, yeah. Actually I was wondering..."

"Yeah?"

"Could I-Could I sing something for you?"

"Huh?"

"I think it would be better if I sing. Get all my emotions ready to-to _really_ talk."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just going to sing a song. It's very personal. If I can sing it to you, then I can talk to you about anything."

"OK, whatever makes you feel more comfortable."

"Thanks Gumball. I'll start then."

_This is your big chance, Carrie. Time to show Gumball what you really think of him._

She floats down to be at face level with Gumball. She looks into his eyes.

_Sing from the heart. Sing like you mean every word._

Carrie takes in deep breaths to relax herself.

"Are you OK, Carrie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

She takes one deep breath before she starts. She doesn't break eye contact with Gumball. Carrie begins with her voice cracking, as though she's been singing all day without stop. But soon, she sings better, albeit her voice still wavering.

She begins the song with a ghostly wail, and then she starts to sing.

"_What a beautiful face_

_I have found in this place_

_That is circling all round the sun_

_What a beautiful dream_

_That could flash on a screen_

_In a blink of an eye and be gone from me_

_Soft and sweet_

_Let me hold it close and keep it here with me, me_."

She slowly comes to a halt.

"Is something wrong, Carrie?"

"No, It's just that..."

_Oh man, I thought if I kept looking at him long enough, we'd share a moment or something. That sure isn't working. He's probably wondering why I'm looking at him like I'm some sort of freak. I'll have to improvise._

"...I want to dance a bit."

"You wanna dance?"

"Uh, yeah. The song isn't as impressive if I don't dance."

_Good, it would have been real awkward if I kept on staring at him. But now I have to dance. I don't even have feet._

"Sure Carrie, if you want."

"Alright," Says Carrie. "Here I go."

She goes up, away from Gumball. The full moon is behind her, the bright whiteness makes it appear that she had become invisible. She sways side to side and begins to sing again.

"_And one day we will die_

_And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea_

_But for now we are young_

_Let us lay in the sun_

_And count every beautiful thing we can see_

_Love to be_

_In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me, me_."

Carrie starts to get really into the song now. Her swaying becomes wider, she sails across the night sky. Like a lost soul searching for the way to heaven.

"_What a curious life we have found here tonight_

_There is music that sounds from the street_

_There are lights in the clouds_

_Anna's ghosts all around_

_Hear her voice as it's rolling and ringing through me_

_Soft and sweet_

_How the notes all bend and reach above the trees, trees_."

Carrie looks down below her. Gumball sits on the grass listening to her singing, looking totally enrapture with it.

_He likes it! He really likes it! But it's not over yet, I need to finish it. I should make my dancing a little more interesting too._

Carrie starts to do nose dives, swirls, barrel rolls and every other flying trick she could think of.

"_Now how I remember you_

_How I would push my fingers through_

_Your mouth to make those muscles move_

_That made your voice so smooth and sweet_

_Now we keep where we don't know_

_All secrets sleep in winter clothes_

_With one you loved so long ago_

_Now he don't even know his name_."

_OK Carrie, the last verse. It's almost over._

Carrie stops flying. She goes back to Gumball. She has the courage to look Gumball deep into his eyes without getting nervous now. She sings with emotion dripping onto every word.

"_What a beautiful face_

_I have found in this place_

_That is circling all round the sun_

_And when we meet on a cloud_

_I'll be laughing out loud_

_I'll be laughing with everyone I see_

_Can't believe how strange it is to be anything at all_."

They wait before speaking, letting it sink in.

"So what do you think?" Carrie asks.

"It was nice, very touching. Where did you get that song?"

"My parents used to sing it to me."

"Used to? What happened to them?"

"...It doesn't matter."

"Carrie, aren't we here to talk about your parents?"

"What? No."

"Then what did you wanted to talk about?"

"You like the song, right?"

"Yeah, I already told you. It's nice."

"Yeah. You know, when you love someone, you sing them a song."

"What?"

_Just spit it out. Tell him you like him. Don't prolong this._

_Maybe I should forget about all this. Why did I think this was a good idea? Gumball doesn't like me. There's no way he'd leave Penny for me. Not that that's what I wanted to happened. What did I think was going to happen? I wasn't thinking at all. Stupid. Stupid. I need to end this, save myself from further embarrassment. _

"You should sing that song to Penny."

"Huh?"

Carrie sighs. "I want you and Penny to have a good relationship. So I sang you that song for, I don't know, for you to sing it to her and show that you really really love her."

"Really? Is this what you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes." Says Carrie flatly.

"Why did you wanted to meet me out here in the middle of night for just that?"

She thinks before answering. "I didn't want anyone to see me like this."

"Oh. That makes sense. No one expects you to sing. You'd rather want everyone think you're a tough girl that can handle pain on a daily basis. Don't worry Carrie, your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks Gumball."

_I feel like such an idiot. This was a stupid plan._

"Wow, this is the nicest thing you've done for me. You're a great friend, Carrie."

"No. No, no. NO. NO!" Carrie screams. She's trying to fight back her tears but they leak out anyways. The tears are streaming down her face, making a small puddle below her. "I am NOT your friend!"

"What? What are you saying, Carrie?"

Carrie continues to sob. Gumball is upset, he wants to help Carrie, but he doesn't know what's wrong. Whenever Penny gets upset, he would hug her until she feels better, but that won't work with Carrie.

Carrie tries to calm herself. Her tears still keep on coming though, but she has manage to be able to talk coherently.

"I'm-I'm bad with words."

Carrie goes towards Gumball with her lips puckered-up. She's going in for a kiss. She hopes for a miracle.

She goes right through Gumball, he didn't feel anything and neither did she.

Gumball isn't a complete idiot, he knows what's really going on here.

"Carrie...I had no idea."

Carrie starts to cry again. She flies far away from the park, leaving Gumball all alone by himself in the park. Gumball, unsure what to do now, decides to leave for home.

_It's not like I can go after her, it's not safe. I'll talk to her later, at school._

* * *

><p>Nicole Watterson drops off her kids in front of the steps of Elmore Junior High. Penny's dad came by to drop off his daughter as well. Penny goes over to Gumball.<p>

"Hey Gumball." Says Penny. "Wanna walk me over to the canteen?"

"I'd love to, but not right now."

"Huh? How come?"

"Well...It's Carrie, I think she's still feeling upset. So I'm gonna try looking for her and see if I can help her out or anything."

"She's still not feeling well?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Didn't you already talk to her yesterday?"

"I did, but...we didn't get to talk about everything."

"What did you talk about with her."

"Well, um..."

"Never mind. That's personal, isn't it? Go find Carrie, Gumball."

"Thanks." Penny hugs Gumball.

"You're such a good friend, Gumball."

"Thanks Penny."

* * *

><p>Carrie floats around aimlessly in the school's hallway. She's embarrassed about what she did last night. She hopes she never sees Gumball again.<p>

_Although there might be a slight problem when I get to class. He sits right in front of me. I'm gonna have to face him eventually._

"Carrie!" Gumball comes running towards Carrie.

_Oh no, he's coming! You knew this was going to happen sometime, it's better we talk about what happened last night now than later._

"Hey Gumball." Says Carrie. He doesn't say anything. "Didn't you want to talk?"

"Well, I was expecting you to kinda run off again. And I would chase you until I couldn't keep going. I didn't exactly plan for you to just stop."

_When it seems all hope is lost, that's when a miracle happens. Things work out for everyone and we get a happy ending._

_Maybe if I tell him those three words, things might change for the better._

"If you don't have anything planned, then maybe I can say something first."

"Sure."

She pauses at first, and then begins. "I-I like you. A lot. I love you, Gumball."

Gumball doesn't know what to say. Since the attempt to kiss him last night, Gumball knew that Carrie has a crush on him, but he wasn't ready for her to say she loves him. For her to put it out in the open like that. He felt uncomfortable being next to her now, knowing that he can't be friends with her now. Penny wouldn't like it if he tries to hang out with Carrie.

The hallway is getting crowded. Everybody is getting to their classes.

"Carrie, I'm with Penny." Gumball says.

_I'm an idiot for thinking this could've ended with a happy ending. I give up. I quit._

"Sorry for bothering you so much. I'll go." As she starts to leave, Gumball calls out to her.

"Wait, Carrie!"

Carrie looks at Gumball, curious what he has to say now. He looks nervous.

"I...kinda like you a lot too."

Gumball dashes to a thick part of the crowd. He gives her a quick glance at her before disappearing into the cluster of students.

Carrie smiles.

_Never give up hope._

* * *

><p><em><strong>That's the end everyone! I hope you have all enjoyed this story. Even though it's a bit bittersweet.<strong>_

_**Does anyone know where I got the title (The Dark Night Of The Soul) from?**_

_**And does anyone know what is the song that Carrie sings to Gumball?**_

_**I know the answers, I'm curious if you know or not.**_


	3. Everytime I'm With You

**All of you should be thanking_ Roman Empire_ for these two chapters, he was the first to have suggested that I write another chapter to this story. I wouldn't have continued this and all of you wouldn't be reading this.**

* * *

><p><strong>The Dark Night Of The Soul<strong>

**Epilogue Pt.1**

* * *

><p>At the very center of Elmore is where all the upper class citizens stay and play.<p>

At night, they come out of their high rises, their penthouses, their lofts to go about to the places where only the rich elite can afford to go.

Like the fancy restaurant that Carrie is going for her date with Gumball.

She goes right through the doors of the restaurant and goes up to the server at the reservation booth.

"Excuse me. I'm meeting a Gumball Watterson here. We're on a date."

The server looks at Carrie strangely, like she isn't suppose to be here. He grabs his book where the reservations are kept and starts going towards the dining area.

"Walk this way." Says the server. Carrie follows.

A band is playing soft jazz as everybody eats small portions of french cuisine like_ salade de jambon cru et de saumon fume_,_ galette complete avec un bol de cidre brut_, or a simple _fois gras en sauce, cuit a la cocotte, avec des grains de moutarde_.

The dining area is large and spacious, making the music come out with a faint echo. The large windows overlook the bustling cityscape outside, giving the inside of the restaurant a sense of time being slowed down. Cars and people whizzing by while they take their precious time picking out the right utensils to eat with, taking small bites of their already small portions, and chewing it thirty times before swallowing.

The server returns back to his booth, believing that Carrie could find Gumball on her own now. She looks around the dining area and sees Gumball at a table for two at the very center of the restaurant, above the chandelier.

The chandelier is a big and ornate object. The million of glass shards twinkle brightly, lighting up the entire restaurant like some sort of mini-sun. It's so bright, Carrie couldn't even stare directly at it, just like the real thing.

"How do you like it here?" Asks Gumball.

_I love it Gumball._

"I'm happy to hear that. You wouldn't believe what I did to get enough money to go to this restaurant."

_I hope you didn't go through too much trouble for me._

"Not at all! You know I'd do anything for you!"

_Thanks Gumball. That really means a lot to me._

"Don't mention it. Oh! Looks like our food is coming."

_You ordered food for me?_

"It looks delicious." The waiter places the two plates on the table. Gumball grabs a fork, quite possibly the wrong one to be using since the waiter is giving him a upset look. The waiter leaves and Gumball takes one bite into his meal. He's half way done. "Are you enjoying the food?"

_Oh Gumball, you know I can't eat._ Carrie giggles._ You can be so forgetful sometimes._

"Great. Glad you're enjoying it." Gumball eats some more, finishing his meal in just two bites. "Man, that went fast. Are you done too?"

_I didn't even started._

"This date sure has gone by pretty quick. Is there anything else you want to do?"

_I guess we can just talk, if you want._

"You wanna kiss me?"

_What? I didn't say that, but if you want to..._

"That's great, let's do it!"

Carrie closes her eyes and leans forwards. She feels nothing. Sweet nothingness.

"Wow. You're a great kisser Penny."

Carrie sighs. _Why did you have to say her name? And just when I was feeling great too. I guess that's it for me tonight. I'm leaving now._

* * *

><p>Imagination is a powerful thing. In the 1990s, in London, New Jersey, a hat tried to skip a few days of work by lying to his boss saying his wife was in the hospital. By the end of the week, the hat had the whole city's police force searching for her when he found her hospital bed empty and she was nowhere to be found.<p>

He was fired and spent his newly acquired free time to keep on looking for his wife after the police began to doubt she even existed in the first place.

* * *

><p>When Gumball tells Carrie that he likes her a lot, she believes that there's still a chance for them. Believes that one of these days, Gumball will come back to her and they'll be together as a happy happy couple.<p>

But not right now, later. Penny is Gumball's girlfriend. It's not like he would just break up with Penny and then go around and date another girl. He's not that type of person.

Carrie has to wait for Gumball to break up with Penny at the right time. When he can let go of Penny without completely breaking her heart. Until then, Carrie will have to wait for Gumball.

Until then, Carrie will have to settle with the relationship she imagines they have together.

One evening, Gumball invites Penny to come over to his house to have dinner. As Gumball introduces his girlfriend to his parents, Carrie looks in the dining room from the window. She imagines that it's her holding Gumball's hand and introducing herself to Nicole and Richard.

_Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Watterson, it's very nice to finally meet you._

When Nicole gives Penny a plate of food, Carrie laughs, saying that this whole family is forgetful.

When Richard compliments Penny on her antlers, Carrie kindly suggests to him that he should consider buying a pair of glasses.

Carrie realizes how creepy she's being. Stalking Gumball like a pathetic loser. But she can't help herself. Being a ghost is horrible. After being dead for so long, she only has faint memories of what she used to be. Memories of laughter and tears. Pride and shame. Surprises and routines. Hate and love. All of those were going away a little bit as each day passed. And it pains her so much to know she'll be an empty shell of her past self when she loses it all.

If she and Gumball were together, they could make new memories for her. Happy memories.

_That's right, I just want to be happy for once. Yeah, what I'm doing is totally reasonable._

She looks through the window again, she sees that nobody is at the table now. Carrie sees the glow emitting from the television and the outlines of the Watterson family and Penny. She looks closer and can see that Penny is sitting on Gumball's lap. Carrie furrows her brow in anger, ready to-and then it hits her.

An ingenious plan that she wishes she had thought of sooner.

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>


	4. Little Girl

**The Dark Night Of The Soul**

**Epilogue Pt. 2**

* * *

><p>Late at night, Richard drives up to the driveway of Penny's house. The lights are off, which means that her family is sleeping. Gumball and Penny get out of Richard's car from the back. Richard turns off the engine, showing that nobody is in any hurry to go.<p>

Penny and Gumball walk up to the steps, to the porch. They hold onto each other's hands. They stare into each other's eyes.

"So," Starts Gumball. "What did you think about dinner?"

"I had a great time, Gumball."

"Good...Good night, Penny."

"Good night Gumball."

They share one last peck on the lips before Penny goes towards the doors and turns the knob. But then-

"Penny, wait."

She stops, the front door slightly ajar. She closes it, the door makes a soft _creak_. She gives Gumball her full attention.

"I have something for you." Gumball says. He grabs for something in his back pocket. He pulls out a small, cheap-looking, silver cardboard box. He takes off the top to reveal a simple ring. Penny is completely still, frozen in her place. She doesn't move when Gumball grabs her hand. "In twenty years, I'm gonna ask you again. To marry me." He slides the ring onto her finger. "That's a promise." The ring fits perfectly on her.

Penny takes back her hand, she puts the ring close up to her face. Her eyes strain trying to see it underneath the darkness. The streetlamps provide very little light at all. It doesn't matter though, she knows that it's there and that this isn't a dream. Penny knows that Gumball had spent what little money he possibly had just for her. She knows that-that-that there were no words for the love they have for each other.

Penny looks at Gumball. Tears are trickling down her shell. She opens her mouth as if to say something, but she doesn't. They share one extra long hug. Gumball goes back inside Richard's car, Penny looks at the car driving off with Gumball in the backseat, then she looks back at the ring. She reaches for the doorknob again.

A voice whispers to Penny, a soft, sudden voice from nowhere that shakes Penny to the core. "_Penny..._"

It says.

Penny turns around to see who's there, but before she could see anyone, something forces itself down her throat. All she sees is the wispy tail of a ghost.

Carrie is in full control of Penny now. Carrie blinks several times, shuffle her feet, just trying to get comfortable in this new body. She moves her fingers, she notices the ring and smiles. Drool seeps out of her mouth. Carrie clears her throat by coughing.

"HellooOOooOOooo Gumbaaaalllll." Says Carrie. "It's meeee, Peeeennyyy." She opens the door and goes inside. She continues to talk.

"HellooOOooOOooo Gumbaaaalllll. It's meeee, Peeeennyyy."

* * *

><p>Saturday morning and the Watterson family is sleeping in, that is, except for Gumball. He likes to get up early. When everybody is asleep, he has the house to himself. He gets a bowl of cereal and turns on the television.<p>

The doorbell rings. Gumball, wondering who it could be, puts his bowl on the ground and goes to answer it. He opens the door and sees Penny. She looks the same as she did the last time Gumball saw her.

"Hello Gumball." Carrie says. "It's me, Penny."

Gumball is happy, although a bit caught off guard as well. He swings the door wide open for her. "Come on in, Penny." She sits on the sofa, Gumball sits next to her. "What brings you here so early?"

"I felt lonely." She says it like she's been practicing.

"Aww..." Gumball gives her a big grin, she blushes.

Carrie looks down and sees Gumball's hand. She wants to touch it. She places her hand on top of Gumball's.

_My first time. Touching Gumball_. Carrie is giddy with excitement, but remains cool and calm.

She begins to stroke Gumball's soft fur, then her fingers intertwine with his fingers. She uses her thumb to continue stroking his hand. She looks up and her gaze locks with Gumball, he smiles.

_This is it, you're finally going to do it. All your hard work has lead up to this. Your first kiss with Gumball._

She leans towards Gumball. Slowly. Slowly. Their lips are inching closer and closer together. Carrie savors each moment, letting the time build up to the kiss, the climax. She wants it to last hours.

Their lips connect, they match together like a heart has been split in two.

_My first kiss! My first kiss!_

Carrie can feel_ Feel. I can feel_ his moist lips with hers. She wants to taste them. She licks around the edge of his mouth before entering the inside of it.

_So good._

She can feel his hotbreath on her tongue. Her tongue explores the inside of Gumball's mouth, rubbing itself on everywhere. She lets out a moan,

_Warmth, this is how it felt like._

She lets out a moan, her whole body aches with a sensual pleasure.

_It feels so good._

Carrie starts to use her hands, she rest them on Gumball's cheeks, she pulls him closer to her. Gumball takes the hint and starts to use his tongue as well. Their mouths tangle with each other, coating each others tongue with saliva. Carrie can feel Gumball blushing. He's burning up.

_Penny must've never done this with him. _

Her hands go down. They wrap around his shoulders. Her hands go down again. She holds both of his arms.

_I want him to touch me too._

She slides her hands up and down on his arms, she squeezes them to get a good feel.

_Touch me Gumball. _

She gets a hold of Gumball's hands and have him hug her in a tight embrace. Her hands rest on his chest,then they go under his shirt.

_Let me be closer to you._ _I want to feel your fur, your skin. _

She runs her hands across his furry chest.

_Ohh, it feels so good running through my fingers._

She places her hand on where his heart is, she can feel his heart beating.

_I feel your heart pounding, you're getting real excited, aren't you? Me too._

Her hands go down, they land on his curvacious hips. One of her hands play with his tail, letting the tail squirm around her fingers. The other hand caresses his ass, she squeezes it to get a good feel. Her hands starts to move onto his legs, then onto his thighs.

_I want more of you._

Carrie grabs Gumball's shirt and takes it off of him. She throws it to the floor.

"Penny?" Asks Gumball. "What do you wanna do with me?" Carrie smiles and continues to kiss him. She pushes him down onto the sofa, he's lying down with Carrie on top of him. Gumball mumbles out the name, "Penny..."

_I never thought I would get this far, today's my lucky day._

He says her name again, "Oh Penny..."

_Wait, I-I need to stop this. He thinks I'm Penny. I have to tell him the truth before we go any further. I don't want my first time to be with Gumball thinking I'm some one else. But wait, what if he gets upset? I'll just have to risk it, I can't have him thinking I'm someone I'm not._

Their lips part.

"Hmm." She doesn't want to stop, but this is more important. "Gumball, wait."

"What's the problem?" Gumball still lies there on the sofa. His arms are spread out, waiting for Penny to come back to him.

"I need to tell you something."

Gumball sits up. "What is it?" He asks.

"I'm...not Penny."

"Huh?"

"I'm Carrie." Gumball stares at her confusingly, wondering why Penny is acting so weird all of a sudden. Then he remembers that Carrie has a crush on him, and also her ability to control other people's bodies. He frantically grabs for a couch cushion and uses it to cover his bare chest.

"Carrie!" He yells, but then he quiets himself, not wanting his whole family to wake up. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry I surprised you like that Gumball. I got caught in the moment and forgot to tell you sooner."

"What are you doing in Penny's body? Get out of there!" His yelling sounds like hissing.

"Wait, let me explain myself first."

"What is there to explain?"

"Listen, please."

"...Fine, I'm listening."

"Good...I took over Penny's body so we can...be together, you and me be more closer, I mean." She stops to see if Gumball is still listening. He is, but he's also still upset.

"Yeah." He says. "I kinda figured that one out already. What I want to know is what makes you think trying to pretend you're my girlfriend and touching me like that was a good idea."

"You liked it didn't you?" Carrie's hand rubs his toes. "I could tell you really enjoyed it."

Gumball jerks his feet away from Carrie. "That's because I thought you were Penny. Now that I know it was you doing all that, it's kinda creepy."

"...Creepy? Look, I realize now that maybe what I was planning to do with you could be consider a bit unsettling. Under these circumstances. But, but-"

"Carrie." Gumball says her name with such a fierce and demanding tone, it startles Carrie. "I want you to get out of Penny's body. Right now."

"But wait, don't you see? Both me and Penny can be your girlfriends now. You can be with the both of us at the same time. Everybody wins in this situation."

"Not for Penny, she doesn't want you using her body."

"Penny's a nice girl. She can share."

"Get out of her body Carrie, I mean it. Right now."

_Oh no, this isn't going well at all. If Gumball keeps getting angrier, he won't speak to me, he won't look at me. He's going to absolutely hate me and ignore me for the rest of his life. This makes this your last chance to-to, oh, I don't know what to do anymore! But I can't give up, I came so close, so close. But what can I do? I have to do something. Quick. But what?_

Carrie throws herself on Gumball. She pins Gumball's arms down and starts kissing him.

"Come on Gumball. Just give this some more time, you'll get used to the idea."

Gumball jerks his head around to avoid Carrie's kisses.

"Stop it Carrie."

"You're going to thank me for this Gumball, we can be happy together."

"I mean it Carrie. Stop it!"

"We'll have so much fun together."

"Stop it."

"We can try things I've done before. Like swimming, or riding bikes, or walking. That one's still new to me." She giggles and tries kissing Gumball again.

"I said Stop It!"

Gumball manages to get one of his arms free and slaps Carrie across her face, and she stops. She lies her head on Gumball's chest, she cries.

"Why?" She says. "Didn't you want this?"

"No. What made you think that?"

"You-You said you love me Gumball."

It's time for Gumball to confess a few things now. He sighs.

"I don't."

"Wha...?" Carrie looks at Gumball, Gumball looks at Carrie. She grabs tufts of Gumball's fur in her hands. "Yes. You do. You told me yourself you liked me. A lot."

"I lied."

"...What...did you say?"

"I lied because I didn't wanted to see you so depressed. I just wanted to cheer you up. But now, I'm really regretting saying that to you."

Carrie loosens the grip she has on Gumball and sits on the far end of the sofa. The tears keep coming.

"I never had a chance..."

"...Yeah..."

Carrie buries her face in her hands and continues to cry. Gumball goes to her and rubs her back.

"Um..." He doesn't know what to say.

Carrie takes notice of him rubbing her. Slowly, she turns to face Gumball, she stares at him a long time before saying anything.

"Are you sure?" She asks.

In a flash, Gumball grabs her hand. He tugs at it, almost hurting her in the process, and puts it close to her face.

"Do you see this?" Questions Gumball. "Do you see this ring, Carrie?"

"Yes?"

"I gave this ring to Penny just last night. This ring is suppose to represent how much I love her. No matter what happens in the future, or right now, I'll always be with her. I'll always love her. We're going to stay with each other forever, till the day we die old. And there's absolutely nothing you can do to change that. Leave Penny alone."

Gumball lets go of her hand. They sit there on the sofa in silence.

Eventually, Carrie comes out of Penny's mouth and dashes out through the door.

* * *

><p>"<em>A trick that people use to make you think they're smart<em>

_Is confidence when actually they're lost in the dark_

_Only someone with the mind of a child says he'll grow up_

_Cause headin' down the avalanche your life will show up_

_It's nice to be loved. It can never happen too late_

_I wanna share my food with you but you've stolen my plate _

_Hey now, hey now, go your way now_."

Cats have an average lifespan of twelve to thirteen years. Gumball died sooner than that, which is understandable considering the lifestyle he held.

Everybody went to his funeral, even the ones who hated him; Mr. Robinson, Tina and her gang, even Carrie and her broken heart all went to his funeral.

"_You tortured little girl_

_Showing them what love is all about_

_Where did all the time go?_

_Everywhere is gone, gone, gone_."

Carrie is very quiet, floating at the very edge of the crowd, barely listening to the Father speaking. The whole crowd is sobbing however, Gumball's family and Penny are crying harder than everyone there. Carrie isn't crying though.

"_You get the point now_

_You pick yourself up off the bars_

_He's on his arm now_

_Cause they remind you off the pictures on the wall now_

_But she was young and I wasn't not even born yet_

_If you think I know a little more then_

_You have this person on the streets you aren't correct_

_Because I'm ignorant as shit, not hear to preach, man_

_You know I just wanna have fun, go to the beach, man_

_Thats all I am, I'm just a simple guy who talks when_

_You put a microphone in front of him."_

Everybody leaves when the burial is over and they all leave a flower on his grave. Everyone except for Carrie, she stays right where she is.

"_You twisted little girl_

_Showing them what life is all about_

_Where did all the time go?_

_Every where it's gone._

_Running left in a relationship_

_Going in circles and I just can't wait_

_Running left so we can get in shape_

_Get in shape because we can't escape_

_Running left because I'm already late_

_Really not, I'm in the exact same place_

_Running laps in your relationship_

_Running away from the shadows themselves."_

Carrie doesn't know why some people, like herself become a ghost, while other people stay dead. She thinks it's all a matter of chance. Like a coin toss, dead or alive, you have an equal opportunity to be one or the other.

"_The worlds always amazed at how much cash you made  
>But not at how you made it, it's just strange<br>It sounded kind of cool over the phone  
>It killed your neighbors and they dug and crushed their bones."<br>_

Carrie decided to give Gumball seven days, a week. If he didn't come back from the dead, she'll have to learn to move on.

"_You tortured little girl_

_Showing them what laughter's all about_

_Where did all the wine go?_

_Every night it's gone._"

Over the course of the week, Carrie stays exactly at the same spot, never leaving her eyes on Gumball's tombstone. _Son. Brother. Future Husband. A Star That Burned Out Too Quickly._

Also during the week, other ghosts appear, a few skeletons, and a zombie or two. Carrie didn't pay too much attention to any of them, too busy waiting for Gumball. There is this one ghost that came to this cemetary yesterday, it plays around with the other ghosts and likes to sing. Carrie likes its somgs, It gave her something to listen to while she waits and doesn't get too bored.

"_You got it all worked out_

_Funny little girl_

_Showing them what pain is all about_

_Where did all the time go?_

_Every night its gone, gone, gone_."

It's almost the end of the seventh day, the sun is setting.

_I guess this is it. Time to move on._

She hears that the ghost is nearing the end of its song. She decides to thank it before she leaves. She moves her eyes away from the grave and sees the ghost right behind her.

"…Gumball…?"

"_You're the coolest girl in this whole town_

_I just wanna parade you around_…"

* * *

><p><em><strong>OK! That's it, I'm done. What did you guys think? Was it a bit sad? I thought it was kinda sad. Maybe after this, I'll try to make a Gumball x Carric fic that isn't so filled with drama. Something a bit more cheerful.<strong>  
><strong>By the way, you know where the title and the chapter name came from? It's from the album <strong>Dark Night of The Soul **and the chapters are names of the songs on it. Go listen to it right now.**_


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